Scientists turn probiotic bacteria into tiny drug factories for pancreatic cancer
University of Chicago researchers have engineered a probiotic bacterium to deliver immune-stimulating drugs directly into pancreatic tumors. This method aims to overcome the 'cold' tumor environment that typically blocks immune responses.
Why it matters
Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to treat; this targeted delivery system could significantly improve the efficacy of existing immunotherapies.
Cancer immunotherapy has dramatically changed how doctors treat many forms of cancer, yet pancreatic cancer has remained particularly resistant to these advances. A major obstacle is the environment that develops around pancreatic tumors. These tumors often create a "cold" tumor microenvironment that blocks immune cells from launching an effective attack.
Researchers at the University of Chicago have now developed a new approach that could help overcome this problem. In a study published in Science Advances , the team used BifidoSumIL-2, an engineered strain of Bifidobacterium longum , a probiotic bacterium naturally found in the gut, to carry an immune-stimulating treatment directly into tumors.
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